The Dark Carnival
by lightinthedarkness4
Summary: Summary: Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the Dark Carnival! Feast your eyes on the many daring acts and death defying stunts presented to you by the Homestuck trolls! (I suck at writing these things) Leave what pairings you want in a review because I simply cannot choose!
1. Chapter 1

Hey I was listening to dark carnival music, don't shoot me please

Twenty five people was a lot to fit around one table, especially if that table is in a tiny moving caravan. Make that twenty five people trying to eat a very small dinner around this table. The smell of fish filled the entire caravan, mixed with the sugary scent of Faygo from the Makara's metal cups. The Grand Highblood sat at the head of the table, looking grim and slightly mad as usual.

"We should be arriving this evening, you all know the drill to set us up" he growled.

Everyone seemed to sink lower in their seats at his words. Setting up the carnival tents was one of the most tiresome jobs, which often involved tugging at ropes and trying not to get buried under supplies.

"WELL OBVIOUSLY EQUIUS IS GOING TO BE BUSY TONIGHT" Karkat stated while shooting the strong man a sideways glance.

"I Do Hope It Does Not Start To Rain, Porrim And I Have Not Completed Meulin's New Outfit, We Would Hate To See It Ruined" Kanaya whispered to Nepeta who was eating some sort of fish very eagerly.

The babble continued as the procession of caravans and wagons continued into the middle of a large circular field. Just as the last wagon stopped, the heavens opened and rain began to batter the carnival accompanied with flashes of lightning. The driver of their caravan, which was pulled by horses came in and announced that they had reached the site.

Everything seemed to explode with action, performers, actors, illusionists and acrobats all converging towards the centre of the field. The Carnival was coming to life! Each tent was purple with black and dark grey detail, the largest of them all, the big top required everyone's help to erect. Each person was holding a thick rope, ready to pull on it at just the right moment.

"All together now, 3, 2, 1 PULL" yelled Equius over the howling wind and rain. Slowly, the Big Top began to rise up, above all the other tents, standing majestic and tall. Each of the ropes had to be hammered in, two persons to a rope and peg, a rhythmic smashing filled the air, like a baseline to natures music.

Gamzee and Kurloz were right by the door of the huge tent. Their peg seemed to not want to go in the earth. "Stupid-mother-fucking-peg-won't-go-in!" Gamzee broke each word with a strong blow from his hammer. Kurloz stopped for a moment and smacked his little brother across the head. 'Its no use complaining just hurry the fuck up!' He signed. Gamzee muttered something inaudible and continued to hammer, clown face paint dripping down his face and arms in small rivers.

After about three hours of constant rain, thunder and lightning, the Carnival was beginning to take shape. They still had a whole three days before they opened properly so The Grand Highblood ordered everyone to bed. Equius threw open the door to his reinforced caravan and walked in, Horuss seemed to have left the remainders of a robot scattered across the floor. He picked up the weight that was thrown on his bed and settled down to sleep.

Across the camp, a smaller caravan was parked away from all the others. The Megido caravan. Aradia and Damara were seated in two wicker chairs, neither talking, just staring into the flickering flame of a candle burning on the table in front of them. Eventually they went to sleep, but left the candle burning, casting flickering shadows about the small room.

The sun rose next morning like a great orange disk, tinting the sky pale pink. The performers all rose early, every hour counted and they needed every single one of them. The storm last night meant that only two of the ten tents had been put up, the rest lay in slightly damp piles on carts. There was suddenly a loud crash, accompanied with lots of swearing. Karkat and Kankri seemed to be trying to move one of the smaller tents out of the cart but had ended up being crushed by its weight; Cronus however came to the rescue and helped free them. "I did tell you in very great detail what would happen of we tried to lift the circus tent down, however you decided to ignore my advice and carry on anyway which has now got both of us in such state we are in now" Kankri half complained half scolded Karkat who couldn't care less. "SOMEONE WAKE EQUIUS UP AND TELL HIM TO HELP WITH THE TENTS"

About two hours later, with Equius' help and extensive cussing from Karkat and Gamzee, the rest of the carnival was set up. Horuss disappeared into the Big Top for the rest of the day, rigging up lights and other machines used in performance. Terezi was especially excited; her light and colour show was one of the main events in the entire carnival. Latula and Mituna were skateboarding around, performing small stunts while avoiding tents and caravans. An angry Porrim came and dragged Meulin back to her's and Kanaya's caravan to try on her new outfit. "Meulin you will come with me whether you like it or not!" Nepeta was following her sister, giggling as she protested and squirmed trying to get out of the stylist's grip. Another loud bang ripped through the air, along with the sounds of yelling.


	2. Chapter 2

Damn guys I'm sorry for the wait! I procrastinated, really I did. Sorry! Anyway I did some research into some stuff and I realised that I knew literally nothing when I started this fic. Anyway, name the pairings you want and I'll try write them because I have NO idea of my own, seriously I'm open to suggestions. (Except for kurloz because he's mine mwuh ha ha ) Heads up I was listening to Shakira, so this thing is gonna have a nice exotic theme :P

Silence, that was all, the complete and utter absence of sound. Everyone froze, unable to breath in suspense. What was going on? Who? Why?

"YOU LITTLE SHIT, GET UP!" A voice, the loudest voice that would strike fear in the bravest of hearts. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT YOU WORTHLESS MOTHERFUCKER!" Another bang, the sound of a body hitting earth, a slam of a caravan and a muffled growl. The highblood was awake, and extremely pissed.

Karkat was the first to react, a look of fear playing in his eyes. He took an uncertain step forward, Tavros mirrored him almost at once, both were scared shitless.

"G-GAMZEE?"

Silence.

"Uh, Karkat I don't think-"

Ignoring Tavros, Karkat ran forward into the pink mist, his footsteps fading away to nothing. Everyone was silent once more, as if frozen in place, not really alive. Eyes flicked around, the only movement, searching the great expanse of rose coloured air for a sign, any signal of life…

Even Kankri was silent, his hands clasped tightly together, palms slightly sweaty. His own eyes searched the fog, suddenly spotting a silhouette, shambling closer and closer.

Karkat returned half carrying the all too pale figure of Gamzee. Behind him was Kurloz, standing tall, silent, and watchful, carrying Gamzee's head with careful hands. Between them, they brought the clown to rest on the floor.

"Oh my glub!" Exclaimed Feferi Pexies as she came closer. Glub was an understatement, bruises old and new dotted his face, swelling up and turning the pale skin to a patchwork of reds and purples. A line of blood trickled down his forehead, following the curve of his eye and down to trace under his cheekbones. You could say it was art, in the most painful and gruesome way possible.

Karkat kneeled down and wiped away the blood with a light touch, as a parent would for a child. "ONE OF YOU FUCKASSES GO GET ARANEA" Rufioh nodded and walked away into the mist, his mechanical wings framing his head in orange.

Everyone gathered close, Tavros kneeling opposite Karkat and staring down in silence. Quiet muttering broke out in the group of twenty four, whispers of the terrible truth.

"Is he dead?"

"The shell happened?"

-" 性交?"

"WHTAH HAPPEHNED TO THEE CLWON?!"

" wvhat happened?"

"Use your fuckin eyes Cro!"

"Everyone 8e quiet!"

Sorry it was so short, I'll be active though, promise!


End file.
